Bloody tears and nightmares
by brittanyforeverandalways
Summary: Plagued by nightmares of the battle and the torture she endured at Malfoy Manor, people are none the wiser as to what is happening to Hermione, except one. He is dead set on finding out what it is that haunts her. Draco/Hermione
1. Ghosts of torture past

_'Crucio', 'Stupefy', 'Imperio'. Spells, curses, blinding lights sored through the darkness of the final battle. Through open eyes, she could see people dying all around her while she ran. Ran for her life up the Hogwarts stairs, until she came face to face with the enormous snake, sliding towards her. She tried to back up but caught her foot on the edge of the stair and tumbled back in I heap on the floor as the snake advanced on her. Her arm was bleeding as was her head, but she cared not as she was further preoccupied by the unhinged jaws flying towards her._

Shooting up in bed, panting, Hermione tried to calm herself down. She pushed her hair from her face and tiptoed out of bed. The clock on her bedside table read, 5.00am, but she didn't care. Sweat was running down her brow and neck and all she really wanted was to have a long shower. The floorboards of the Head's dormitory creaked as she crept to the bathroom, and opened the door. Steam encased the bathroom, entirely causing her to lose track of time. Suddenly a banging came from the door, along with words, "Jesus, Granger it's 5 in the fucking morning. I know you're a geek and everything but that doesn't mean some of us don't need our beauty sleep." She turned the shower off and reached out for her towel, which she hastily wrapped herself in, before listening for movement outside the door. The last thing she wanted to do was run into her fellow Head Boy in the state she was in. _Get it together Hermione it's over, why are you still reliving it?_

Outside, the Head Boy had returned to his room, where he progress to slump back into his grand sized bed. He thought of Granger, how different she was- _no! She's still the same mudblood who smashed your nose in third year._ But she wasn't, she was different. Something had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep anymore now that he was so awake. With this he jumped from the bed and swept through the door, straight into the wet towelled body of Granger herself.

'Watch where you're going ferret,' Hermione huffed when she collided with him. Her hands flew to her towel, to pull it tighter around her petit frame. Before he could get a good look, she was gone, dashing into her room and slamming the door behind her.

The shower was calling to him, so he discarded his pyjama bottoms to the side and threw his towel of the curtain pole, leaping under the cascading flow of water.

Hermione quickly cast a drying spell and dressed in her robes, readying herself for a long haul of a day.

* * *

Classes passed quickly, with few contributions from Hermione. Draco knew there was something untoward going on, and was raring to find out what. She had skipped breakfast, and lunch, and supper was fast approaching. As everyone filed out of their potions class, he could see Potter and Weasley walking with her to the great hall for supper. Well that's one way of knowing she's going to eat something, I suppose. He entered the hall unnoticed and parked himself next to Blaise to eat. As his friends talked and chatted around him, he couldn't help but observe the way Granger was eating. Every few seconds she would lift a napkin to her lips, as if she was wiping them clean but this was not the case. Unbeknown to her companions, each time she did this action she was spitting out the food which she had just consumed. Why? What is the matter with that girl? He was so preoccupied by the goings on, on the Gryffindor table that he didn't hear anything at all as Blaise asked him a question. 'Draco? Malfoy!'

Drawing him out of his trance, he replied, bewildered, 'huh? What?'

'I said, are you coming Slytherin common room tonight?'

'I- no , I have work to do, plus patrol. I'll see you lot later,' he said weaving himself out of the great hall and up to the Head's common room. Once saying the password, he decided to sit and read on the sofa in front of the fire.

* * *

The conversations were flying all around her, but she was too tired to join in. A yawn travelled up her spine as she covered her mouth with her hand, casually. 'Hey 'mione, you look tired, maybe you should call it a night?' She and Ron got together just after the battle but it hadn't lasted long because their friendship was just too strong, though they had agreed to stay friends. He offered her his hand to help her off of the bench. 'Night you guys,' she announced, and her three friends, Harry, Ron and Ginny, waved her goodnight. As she made her way up the flights of stairs she thought of how tired she was. She hadn't told any of her friends about the constant nightmares and lack of sleep that she'd been having for the past weeks since the battle. No one had ever seen Hermione Granger scared, not even her closest friends, but now, all she ever was, was scared. Scared of the darkness swallowing her, scared that someone would take Voldemort's place, scared that she'd never see her parents again, scared of anything and everything. She'd sent her parents away from London after erasing their memories, but she had no idea what had happened during the battle. She only assumed because she hadn't heard anything, that they were alive and fine so thinking nothing more about it.

'Opposita appropriate considering the Head Boy and Girl were from opposing houses. As she ducked through the painting she could see the fire flickering and Malfoy lounging on the sofa reading. 'Evening Granger.'

'Malfoy,' she acknowledged. _Draco! My name is Draco!_ He hated being called Malfoy, it just reminded him of his father, and he wanted nothing more than to forget his sorry arse ever existed. He had put him and mother through hell and he never understood why she took him back. _'Love is a funny thing Draco. You can't run from it because it'll always be there to catch up with you… no matter how much you try'_ his mother had said to him when he questioned her about it.

He watched her place her books on the table and begin to ascend the stairs to her room. Not wanting to sit on the sofa any longer, he lifted himself onto the floor with his back against it instead. Hours he sat there, just watching the flames dance before him; that was, until he heard and door creak open and footsteps on the stairs. He glanced around to see Granger, with a blanket around her, perching on the sofa. 'You look tired,' he stated. 'Yes, well, I'm not, I just have a headache.' 'On that note, I think I'll go to bed. Night Granger.' 'Night Draco.'


	2. Pain undiscovered

Hermione was lying engrossed in her book what felt like a life time, but was initially only a few hours. Words began to get fuzzy as her eyes began to close. She fought but end up asleep dropping her book to the floor.

His body wasn't cooperating with him; it refused to go to sleep as much as he tried. As a result of this, he threw the covers away from him and left the room and descended the staircase, to see the fire still burning. Looking at the clock, it had just gone past midnight, and there was Hermione, stretched out on sofa. He stood in front of the fire few a minute to watch her, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She was beautiful, no one could deny that. It was the first time he could really appreciate it, when she wasn't shouting at him to stop staring. He replayed, the shocking moment of the earlier evening in his brain over and over again. _'Night Granger.' 'Night Draco.'_ It was as if she had heard what he had said to himself earlier. But that wasn't what was really playing on his mind. The fact was, there was something in the way she said his name that ran a chill down his spine, the way it rolled off of her tongue. _'Draco'_. After watching her sleep for a while he put out the fire pulled the blanket further over her, before wandering back up the stairs, to a well awaited sleep.

* * *

_'Come on girly, where'd you get it?' Bellatrix stood directly in front of a pained Hermione, smirking. 'Where! Filthy little mudblood!' she bellowed before diving upon her and beginning to carve into her arm. Blood seeped from the wound, down Hermione's arm and to the ground, where she now lay. 'Crucio,' Bellatrix roared over and over, sniggering at the writhing girl before her. Pain shot through every inch of her body as she fought and tried to resist, crying. Everything stopped. No more pain, she thought it was over… but then her stomach was savagely slashed. Her restraint was gone and now she was crying incisively and could no longer hold back her screams of pain and terror._

Draco awoke with a start. He wondered what might have caused it, but then he heard the noises. They were difficult to listen to, after all of the battle's victims' cries, but this was different. He knew this person, it was Hermione. Launching himself out of bed and the door, he practically jumped all the way down the steps, but stood rigid when he saw what was going on. There she was, writhing, screaming, crying and lashing out. At this rate she was going to do herself more harm than anything else. No longer on the sofa, her movements were rolling her in all different directions across the floor. 'Granger,' he breathed as he neared her. No reaction was given, instead her motions became more violent._ What's wrong with her?_ _She's going to hurt herself_. With this, he tried to shake her awake, say 'Granger', constantly. Now she increased in lashings and violence, trying to get away from him. Pushing her to the floor and holding her there was all he could do to calm him down.

Finally her attacks became less; however, she began whimpering and scratching at her arm. _What is she doing?_ 'Hermione, wake up' his voice was soft but concerned. He knew there had been something wrong with her, but was this part of it? Still holding her down, he saw tears leak from the corners of her eyes as she winced and grabbed her stomach. This action triggered a part of her brain to wake up, and slowly opening her eyes, she adjusted to the world. No sooner had she opened them but the first sight she came in contact with was a pair of sparkling grey/silver eyes, studying her. 'D… Draco… what are yo-'she was cut off by his hand moving towards her.

He was looking down at her arm, raw where she had been rubbing at it, the word MUDBLOOD engraved into it, still bleeding. Her sleeve had ridden up her arm where she had been scratching and he could basically just see a bone encased in skin.

Her hand quickly flew up to cover the word which she was so ashamed of. When his hand went to her up riding top she panicked and hurriedly scarpered away from him to the bottom of the stairs. Not wanting to scare her, he crawled on his knees towards her where he gently took her face in his hands and leant his forehead against hers. Tears ran like a tap flow down her cheeks, unable to be controlled. 'Hermione… listen, your safe nothing's going to hurt you,' he assured her. _I won't let anything hurt you_. Her physical shaking wasn't decreasing so he hooked an arm under her quivering legs and lifted her, bridal style, in to his strong arms. Once reaching her bedroom, he carefully laid her down on the mattress, only to find that she was asleep already. _She looks so peaceful._ Snapping out of the trance again, her pulled over her blankets and covers and tucked her in. His face was centimetres from hers, and he just couldn't resist so he lowered himself and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then was when he noticed just how tired he was, and so after checking to make sure he could hear her if she needed, he lay back in bed and drifted into sleep.


	3. My scars won't heal

Nothing was said about what had happened that night, but Draco knew that now it was imperative that he find out what was really going on.

All of the tossing and turning in the nights were definitely not doing Hermione's sleeping habits any good. This meant that every day she was becoming more and more tired and almost falling asleep at any opportunity. During her free period, she decided she would go to the library to do some extra studying for Charms class. Settling into one of the chairs in the dimly lit corner of the library, she was shadowed by the bookcases and resting her head on her elbow, which was leaning on the table beside her. The next thing she knew, her eyes were closed and her mind was wandering. _Sparkling, glittering grey eyes looking down at her._

Draco had nothing at all to do. He was going to go back to the common room and relax, but then another idea dawned on him. _I'll go and find her_. There was only one place that he thought she would be, other than the common room, _the library_.

Row after row later he was finally in the very corner end of the library and found just what he was looking for. There, slumped on the table, was Hermione, her brown hair falling in soft waves across her pale face. She looked ill; too skinny, too pale and her breathing raged. He paced over to where she was and knelt down beside her. 'Granger, wakey wakey,' he whispered into her ear.

* * *

Her dreams were swirling, nightmares invading from time to time and then she heard his voice, it was gentle and kind,_ 'Granger, wakey wakey.'_ She recoiled from her dream/nightmare dominated sleep and her eyelids began to flutter. One, two, three, blinks and the world stopped spinning. Those eyes, she gasped, he was there with her. _This must still be a dream._

'Finally awake then,' he smirked. 'What are you doing here Malfoy?' his smile faded and he stood up, towering over her. 'You need to come up to the common room. There's some stuff we need to go over,' with this he began to walk away. Not wanting to annoy him further, she followed tentatively behind him all the way up to the common room.

It wasn't until they were inside that he turned, in the centre of the room, and spoke to her. 'What's wrong with you?'

Her eyes widened,_ what does he know?_ 'I don't know what you're talking about,' she brushed off. 'Don't play dumb, Granger. Especially when I live in the same area as you, and when it's me who has to pick up the pieces when you're screaming in your sleep.'

'W…w….w…what?' lip quivering in fear, she started to back away, towards the stairs. 'you don't remember do you? How you went from shrieking on the floor to the comfort of your own bed?' 'What- what do you know?' she didn't really want an answer but asked anyway. 'I know that you're having nightmares, all the time. I know that you haven't been eating, or sleeping properly. I know that when you said that, that- thing on your arm was gone, you were lying. But what I want to know is why? What's wrong with you?' unconsciously, he had begun to get closer to her, step by step. This caused her to panic, and she bolted, up the stairs with Draco close on her heals and into her bedroom where she locked the door. 'Granger? Come on, it can't be that bad. Just tell me, I want to help.' Water flowed from her eyes, she was so scared. He would judge her, call her ugly, mock her and she couldn't take it. She began to scratch at her stomach and arm. 'Leave me alone!' she yelled. Lifting her top, she grabbed for the brush which was lying on her bed, and scrubbed her arm and stomach with it, hoping that the scars would disappear.

* * *

He couldn't give up on this, she was breaking down and he couldn't allow himself to leave her. He continuously banged on the door but he got no response. There was only one thing left to do, as the spell to unlock the door had not worked, breaking it down was the only option left. Lifting his wand, he threw a spell at the door and then it was on the floor and he was still in the doorway. His eyes flew to the girl there, scrubbing at her body with a hair brush, damaging her skin. It wasn't until he looked more carefully that he noticed just what it was she was trying to remove. Thick red shapes were present on the delicate skin of her stomach, scars. _Bellatrix_. She had done this to her and he knew it. There was not enough time for him to think any longer, he had to stop her. He snatched the brush from her hands and put his arms around her, trapping her flailing arms at her sides. She kept fighting but he was strong and dropped the both to the floor as soon as he felt he body go limp. He stroked strands of her hair, from her face and gazed upon her beauty. 'Draco,' she murmured, 'I don't want to feel like this anymore,' whimpering, she clutched at her stomach in pain. He turned her around in his lap to look at her, taking her chin in his fingers, he spoke to her, 'you're going to be fine, I'm going to help you. If you'll let me,' gesturing to her top, which was now down. 'I won't hurt you,' he assured, seeing the petrified look in her big eyes. Closing her eyes, she nodded.

His hand went forwards and meticulously manoeuvred her top up. Her skin was red and bleeding, her scars were standing out more than ever. Slowly he placed his hand on her stomach and began to chant something. She might have understood what he was saying had she not been so scared of what he was going to do. Hissing in pain, the wounds began to close, and eventually her scars were back to normal, perhaps a little more faded than they were. 'Thank you,' she whispered while snuggling into his warm embrace. While she was preoccupied, he took her bloody arm in both of his hands and washed away any excessive blood that was weeping out. 'You're going to be just fine. I'm going to get you well again.' Before they both fell asleep in each other's arms.


	4. This can't be real

3 weeks after Draco had promised to help her and the nightmares had still not deceased. Each night he was woken to her painful cries and would rush to her side in an instant. After a while she would fall asleep while he watched over her, consequently falling asleep in the chair with his head rested on the edge of her bed. He would wake before her and sneak out in the early hours of the morning.

Finally, he had the last he could take and that night, was the night that changed everything…

* * *

As if right on schedule, her frightened yells began to bounce around the rooms. This caused, the very awake, Draco to clamber out of bed and bound into her room. As usual he went to her and tried to calm her, only this time she wouldn't calm. Her shaking was even more violent than normal and her crying louder and less controllable. As her covers slid from her body he saw her beautiful, malnourished body in only a simple, short, silk night gown. A decision had to be made, and he had made it. He was bored of denying his strange attraction to her, so he did want he had wanted to do for a long time. Pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms protectively around her, he lay down on the bed behind her and stroked her hair while whispering soothing words into her ear. After some time of struggling, she began to relax into him and ended up interlocking her fingers with his, while drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Morning dawned and both, Hermione and Draco woke at the same time. As the world came into focus they were both aware of another presence next to them. Hermione, not fully awake, rolled over so that she was facing the person she was blissfully unaware of. Draco however had opened his eyes and was waiting for her to do the same, and then to be kicked out of the comfortable bed he was lying in. With this in mind, he was pleasantly surprised when she opened her own eyes they just widened but nothing was said. Minutes passed and they just lay there studying each other. There was an intense pull between the two of them and neither could decide what it meant. They just lay there. His arms where still around her, and he took a risk and pulled her closer.

His mouth was scarily close to hers. Heart beat quickening tremendously as she felt his warm breath on her face, she closed her eyes as his mouth descended. As his lips brush against hers, she gasped; nothing had ever felt so right. He felt safe, good, and passionate.

Eventually they untangled themselves and lay in one another's arms until a time when they needed to get up. 'Draco, I-'she was cut short by his lips on hers again. This time she didn't try to say anything again, she just responded to his attack on her mouth. 'Thank you,' she said once they had parted. Just as he was leaving the room, she whispered something that couldn't be heard, 'I think… I love you'. But he was already gone.

_What am I doing? This can't happen_. It didn't need to be said between the two of them that nobody could ever find out about this, but the memory still made his heart skip a beat.

She had quickly showered and dressed in her robes, before bolting down to the great hall for breakfast with her friends.

Harry, Ron and Ginny sat in their usual spaces at the table and welcomed Hermione as she perched beside them.

'Hey Hermione, you look flushed. Are you alright?' Ginny quizzed.

'I'm fine I just over slept and had to rush to get ready,' skilfully avoiding any more questions which could be asked.

Conversations between the four flowed all the way up until they began making their ways to class. Just as they got to the door to exit the great hall, one of the fourth years came running up to them. 'Miss Grang-', 'Hermione,' she corrected causing the boy to nod in acknowledgment. 'Professor McGonagall, asked that you go to her office as soon as possible,' she nodded but frowned and then shrugged it off thinking that it was probably just something to do with being Head Girl.

'I'll see you guys in class, I doubt I'll be long,' everyone nodded and she began making her way up to the Head Mistress', 5th floor, office. As she approached the door it the top of the staircase a sudden feeling of anxiety swept over her. The door handle turned in her grip and then she was entering the room to find the Professor sitting at her desk with a grim look on her face.

'Miss Granger… please, sit,' she gestured to the chair the other side of her desk.

'You wanted to see me Professor?'

'I have something important that I am required to tell you. This is going to be difficult to take so I need you to prepare yourself,' worry began to build within Hermione because she had no idea what this could be about. 'In the battle, many lives were lost. Families were torn apart, as you well know. London may have been the battle ground but other places where hunted down as well. I sorry to tell you this but… your being so close to Mr Potter, I believe, made you well-known to the Dark Lord… Miss Granger your parents… they- they were killed.'


	5. Don't leave me now

She stood there, numb. What the Headmistress said after this was unknown to her because she had completely zoned out. Her insides were burning and she could feel her insides wanting to come out. Nausea swept through her, she was beginning to shake uncontrollably. Before she knew what she was doing, she was out of the door and pelting down the staircases. She could hardly see through the sea of tears lodging in her eyes. Her breathing was getting more and more uneven and she could feel herself starting to feel weak. Still running down the stairs, everything suddenly went away from her and all she could make out were the long spiral of stairs coming up to meet her.

* * *

He had been worried when Hermione hadn't been the first one into class, but then he heard Potter tell Professor Flitwick that she had been called to see the Headmistress. _What's going on?_ Silently he slipped out of the class unnoticed as everyone else entered and made his way up through the corridors to the fifth floor main hallway. Upon coming across the office he was searching for, he noted that there were no sounds coming from inside, meaning that she had left already, _but where is she then?_ He thought this to himself as he stepped out onto the top of the grand staircase.

* * *

She rolled and smash repetitively into stair after stair, curling round each corner. After the first few steps she had lost consciousness and now her body was being thrown and bashed around roughly. The battering to her head was severe and her body was twisting in directions which were not normal for someone's body to be in. Three flights of stairs later; there lay her beaten body, on the floor of the second floor landing. Blood flowed from her nose and numerous open cuts on her head, her body was bent unnaturally and her breathing shallow.

* * *

Just as he was about to make his way to their dormitory to search for her, he saw it. A body was unmoving at the bottom of the stairs, brown hair splayed and knotted all over the place. 'Hermione,' he breathed. Then the reality of the situation kicked in and he yelled as loud as he could, 'HERMIONE!'

Even with the moving staircases he ran as fast as possible down the stairs, three at a time. Just as he got onto the last few stairs it began to move. He was so close. Adrenaline took over, out of concern, and he jumped. He jumped from the fast moving staircase to the ledge where she lay. 'No,' he breathed, 'no.' Cradling her head in his lap he heaved her into his arms, not caring about the blood which had splatter all over him. He couldn't lose her. He loved her. _I love her_. It dawned on him, finally.

'Hang on Hermione, please,' he begged as he viciously kicked open the hospital wing door to be met with the disapproving frowns of Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall, which quickly turned into blind panic. Both rushed over and directed the exhausted Draco to the closest bed to lie her down in. As soon as she was out of his arms, his exhaustion took over, as he slumped into the chair just behind him.

After hours of watching her be taped and strapped and cared for, he was sat staring at her lovingly. 'Please Hermione, don't leave me.'

* * *

Harry, Ron and Ginny had been told about the accident and all at once rushed to the hospital wing, only to stop mid-stride when they saw just who was sitting at her side kissing her hand.

'What the hell did you do?' Ron yelled, yank Draco away from her.

'What did I do?' he spat, squaring up to Ron, 'if you really cared, you would have noticed there was something wrong with her months ago!'

'What do you mean, Malfoy?' Harry spoke.

'Months. That's how long she hasn't been eating or sleeping. That's how long I've had to calm her down when she's screaming and lashing out in her sleep.' Shock consumed all three people's faces.

'You're lying,' Ron snarled, throwing a punch in Draco's direction. Draco was faster and caught his fist in his hand.

'Bad. Plan. Weasel.' At which point both adult rushed into the room to see what the commotion was.

'Mr Weasley. Control yourself. Mr Malfoy has been through a horrifying ordeal this day and we do not need anyone making it worse.' Professor McGonagall addressed. 'If you'll follow Madame Pomfrey and me, into her office, we shall explain everything.'

The three followed the two women into the office and closed the door behind them, leaving Draco to sit back at Hermione's side. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and whispered, 'You know, all these years I thought that you were just a pathetic, head-strong girl. But this year I've realised that you're nothing like that, you're the completely opposite. You aren't unbreakable, you aren't indestructible, but you're fragile and need looking after. And I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe, because… because… I love you Hermione.' His monologue had been drawn out and he had no idea of the crowd gathering by the door as he stood from his seat and leant over her and placed a deep, kiss on her pale lips. 'I love you Hermione, please wake up, please.'


	6. I want to go back

The spectators who had been present throughout the entirety of this speech watched on in disbelief. Tears threated Ginny's eyes as her brother and her boyfriend stood, dumbfounded. The adults didn't know what to say, so everyone just stood there and listened. 'I didn't have much to live for after the battle. Lucius is in Azkaban, and Mother sits at home most days, not knowing what to do with herself. I've been going round in circles, not knowing what my life will become. All these years I've been pushed and pushed in the direction of darkness, only to find happiness in the complete opposite. Your light blinded me when I thought there was no hope left. I may have saved your life, but the truth is that you saved me long before that. You are my light at the end of the tunnel. Where I used to go to sleep not wanting to wake up, I now never want to sleep in fear that you won't be there when I do wake. So this is my never ending plea. I have never prayed for something so much as I am that you'll be alright and come back to me, because I don't think I could live in a world where you aren't by my side.' His words echoed around the room as he lay down his head on by her hand and allowed a tear to slip from his softening silver eyes.

By the door, Ginny had sunk on to the empty bed next to her and wept silently for a moment before Harry pulled her into him, stroking her hair. All of their eyes widened when they saw the tear slip from the great Draco Malfoy's eye. Madame Pomfrey and Professor were watching in silence looking at each other from time to time, showing sympathetic smiles. Ron simply stood there, stunned.

Draco lay there, unable to think of anything except her. Her beauty, her smile, her laugh. Everything he loved about life could be stolen away from him at any moment and he hated it. It wasn't fair. Mid-thought, he believed himself asleep, because he could have sworn that he felt her move. _I'm dreaming_.

* * *

Hermione was running through an impossible maze, unable to find an exit becoming incredibly agitated until she heard him. He was speaking to her, in his gentle, velvety voice. She looked to the darkened sky and a stream of light seeped through, ending at her feet. Still as a statue, she listened. She heard every declaration, every word and began fighting through the brambles more determined than ever. 'Draco!' she called. But she knew that no one could hear her. 'Let me out! I want to go to him! Please! I… I love him,' she whispered falling into a heap on the grass below her. While sobbing into her hands, she noticed something. There was a hole under the hedge, as if dug by a dog. Crawling towards it, she began digging with her hands, deeper and deeper until it was big enough for her to fit through. Sliding herself under she scrambled out only to be met by a blinding light and soft touch on her hand.

She began tilting her head towards him while her eyes slit open. After the effect of the light had worn off, she caught sight of the platinum blonde her on her hand. Slowly removing it, it took all her energy to lift it and wipe away the tear trickling down his perfectly smooth skin. His head stayed still to start with but then it began to move, to lift and gaze up at her. Once their eyes met everything disappeared, 'Hermione? Oh Hermione,' he purred, grabbing her frail body into his arms and hugging her. Once letting go he took her pale face in his hands and their mouths caught each other in a passionate meeting of love. 'I thought I'd lost you,' he whispered.

'Never. I love you, Draco. I love you.'


End file.
